Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in Sunday's defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals, according to multiple reports. Cleveland will move forward with Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Jameis Winston at quarterback. The 1-6 Browns currently own the No. 3 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Browns are financially tied to Watson through the 2026 campaign, but this year-long injury should conclude his tenure as their starting quarterback. Watson has come nowhere near meeting expectations of his fully guaranteed $230 million contract, and the organization must end the experiment this offseason. Whether the general manager is Andrew Berry or a new hire, the Browns should draft a quarterback with their top-three selection in April.
We've identified three quarterback prospects the Browns could consider drafting in 2025.
Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders continues to be the most talented quarterback prospect in college football. The No. 8 overall prospect and top-overall QB in our latest Draft Network 100 prospect rankings, Sanders had another productive evening in Saturday's blowout 34-7 victory over Arizona. He completed 23-of-33 passing attempts for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Sanders is an extremely accurate thrower with high-level ball placement. The Buffaloes standout navigates pressure with expertise to extend the pocket, remaining an effective quarterback off script. Sanders should be the first quarterback drafted in April, and the Browns should target him if they're in a position to select the first signal-caller off the board.
Cam Ward
Cam Ward (No. 10 overall) is college football's most improved quarterback this season. From Incarnate Word to Washington State and now at Miami, Ward has undergone an incredible maturation process as a prospect on his journey to stardom. His 2024 play has elevated him into the QB1 conversation, and it's essentially a two-man race between him and Sanders.
Ward oversaw another offensive explosion on Saturday, spearheading Miami to a thrilling 52-45 victory over the Louisville Cardinals. Ward completed 21-of-32 passing attempts for 319 yards and four touchdowns. He did not commit any turnovers. The uber-talented signal-caller possesses fundamental arm talent in abundance. His penchant for searching for the big-time play can get him into occasional trouble, but it's also what provides him with an immense ceiling moving onto the next level.
Jalen Milroe
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (No. 16 overall) was riding high in late September after leading his Crimson Tide to a resume-defining 41-34 victory over the Georgia Bulldogs. It's been tough sledding ever since. Alabama followed up that win with a shocking loss to Vanderbilt before barely beating South Carolina and losing to Tennessee.
Throughout this lackluster three-game stretch, Milroe has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions. He's a prospect who is reliant on high-level physical tools that make him an elite playmaker when utilized appropriately. The dual-threat Milroe has rushed for 11 touchdowns and 330 yards this season.
The league has seen success with dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks in Milroe's mold when the offense is successfully built around that skill set. As of now, Milroe is ahead of Quinn Ewers (No. 19 overall) and Carson Beck (No. 37 overall) as prospects, the two quarterbacks who are his main competitors for QB3 behind Sanders and Ward.
